Jan 30 2025

Smart & Safe Florida Begins Mailing Petitions to Put Marijuana Legalization on November 2026 Ballot, Petition Also Available Online

Smart & Safe Florida has begun mailing thousands of petitions to households statewide in its renewed push to legalize recreational marijuana.

The petition can also be downloaded online here. Although the petition is available online, it was still be mailed back or dropped off to be counted.

The group’s initiative, similar to its 2024 proposal Amendment 3, would legalize marijuana for those 21 and older, allowing for regulated sales of products such as edibles and concentrates while maintaining restrictions, including a ban on public consumption and child-attractive marketing. It would also grant Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers the ability to grow, sell, and distribute marijuana to adult consumers, while creating a framework for licensing new businesses in the market.
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Jan 30 2025

Clinical Trial Finds High-Fat Meals Increase Bioavailability and Alter Absorption of CBD-Rich Cannabis Extract

A study published yesterday by the journal Scientific Reports found that consuming a high-fat meal significantly enhances the bioavailability and alters the absorption pattern of high-CBD cannabis extract in both men and women.

(Photo credit: GETTY Images).

Researchers from Wageningen University in the Netherlands conducted a randomized crossover study involving 11 healthy participants—five men and six women—to assess how a standardized high-fat meal affects CBD absorption compared to fasting. Participants received a single oral dose of a CBD-rich “Cannabis sativa extract equivalent to 70 mg of CBD.

The study found that consuming a high-fat meal led to a substantial increase in CBD bioavailability. The geometric mean ratio (GMR) for peak CBD concentration (Cmax) was 17.4 (90% CI 12.4-24.2), while the total exposure (AUC) increased by a factor of 9.7 (90% CI 7.7-12.3).
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Jan 30 2025

Mississippi House Overwhelmingly Approves Bill Allowing Limited Telemedicine for Medical Marijuana Evaluations

The Mississippi House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved a measure that would allow certain patients to receive medical marijuana recommendations through telemedicine.

House Bill 611, sponsored by State Representative Lee Yancey (R), passed with a 113 to 5 vote and now moves to the Senate for consideration.

If enacted, the bill would allow “telemedicine evaluations” for medical marijuana certification, but only for individuals who are homebound or bedbound. The legislation specifies that eligibility must be confirmed by a separate practitioner who is not the one issuing the medical marijuana recommendation.
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Jan 29 2025

New Connecticut Bill Would Guarantee Minimum Wage for Cannabis Industry Workers

A new bill introduced in the Connecticut House of Representatives would ensure that employees at cannabis establishments receive at least the state’s minimum fair wage.

House Bill 6842, filed today by the chair of the House Labor and Public Employees Committee, and referred to that committee. The legislation would amend state law to clarify that cannabis industry employees must be paid the full minimum wage and that employers cannot count gratuities as part of that wage.

Under current law, certain industries—such as restaurants and hospitality—can apply gratuities toward meeting minimum wage requirements. However, HB 6842 explicitly prevents cannabis businesses from doing the same.
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Jan 29 2025

Michigan Led Per Capita Marijuana Sales in 2024, Followed by Montana and New Mexico

In 2024, legal marijuana sales totaled $23 billion across the 21 states with operating recreational markets. Michigan led in per capita sales.

Using data from state regulatory agencies, cannabis commissions, and the U.S. Census, Michigan had the highest per capita marijuana sales in 2024, averaging $304 per person. Montana followed at $293 per person, with New Mexico at $260.

The full rankings are as follows:
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Jan 29 2025

Virginia House of Delegates Approves Bill to Allow Modified Sentences for Marijuana Offenses

The Virginia House of Delegates has approved House Bill 2555, a bipartisan measure that would allow sentence modifications for individuals convicted of certain marijuana-related felonies before the state legalized the substance.

Filed on January 11 by a bipartisan group of seven lawmakers, HB 2555 establishes a process for individuals still incarcerated or under community supervision for felony marijuana offenses committed before July 1, 2021, to receive an automatic hearing to reconsider their sentences. The bill passed the House Courts of Justice Committee last week with a 14-8 vote before advancing to the full House, where it was approved today.

Under the bill, Virginia circuit courts must schedule hearings by January 1, 2026, for individuals who qualify. Judges will be required to reduce, vacate, or modify sentences—potentially leading to time served—unless prosecutors prove that doing so would not be in the public interest. Those eligible for sentence modification will also have access to legal counsel if they were previously deemed indigent.
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Jan 29 2025

National Institute of Health Study Finds Medical Marijuana More Effective Than Prescription Medications for Chronic Pain

A study being published in the upcoming issue of the journal Pain, and published online ahead of print by the National Library of Medicine, has found that medical marijuana may be more effective than prescription medications in treating chronic pain.

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute, analyzed 440 patients certified for medical marijuana by pain specialists within a single healthcare system, using patient-reported outcomes stored in the University of Pittsburgh Patient Outcomes Repository for Treatment (PORT). At the three-month mark, 38.6% of medical marijuana patients reported clinically significant improvements in pain, function, or overall well-being, with these benefits sustained at six months.

Among the 157 medical marijuana patients who also used opioids, opioid consumption decreased by an average of 39.3% over six months. For comparison, the study examined 8,114 patients from the same clinics who were treated with prescription pain medications, including both opioid and non-opioid options. In this group, 34.9% reported meaningful improvements at three months.
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Jan 29 2025

Tennessee Senator Files Medical Marijuana Bill With Broad List of Qualifying Conditions

State Senator Janice Bowling (R) filed Senate Bill 489 today, legislation that would establish a regulated medical marijuana program in Tennessee, making them the 40th medical marijuana state.

The Tennessee Medical Cannabis Act outlines a framework for cultivation, production, distribution, and patient access to medical marijuana, while also supporting agricultural development and research into the benefits of THC.

The bill highlights that dozens of states, including Tennessee’s neighbors Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, and Virginia, have already legalized medical marijuana, noting that studies have linked medical marijuana programs to reductions in opioid overdoses. The proposal would create a Tennessee Medical Cannabis Program Commission to oversee the system, including the licensing of cultivation, processing, and dispensary operations.
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Jan 29 2025

President Trump Continues to Support the SAFER Banking Act and Marijuana Rescheduling

A spokesperson for President Donald Trump says he remains supportive of both marijuana banking reform and federal rescheduling.

“President Trump continues to support marijuana banking, particularly the SAFER Banking Act, and also continues to support rescheduling marijuana,” a deputy communications director told The Marijuana Herald today via e-mail.

The SAFER Banking Act, which had strong bipartisan backing last session and is expected to be refiled soon, would provide marijuana businesses access to financial services by allowing banks to work with state-legal marijuana businesses without fear of federal penalties. The bill would also allow legal marijuana businesses to take standard IRS tax deductions.
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Jan 29 2025

Colorado Issues Marijuana Recall Covering Products Sold at Nearly 60 Stores

The Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR), in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), has issued a Health and Safety Advisory and recall due to the identification of contaminated marijuana flower produced and sold by Medpharm Holdings, LLC, d.b.a. Bud & Mary’s Cannabis.

(Photo credit: KTTN Radio).

The CDPHE and DOR deem it a threat to public health and safety when marijuana is found to have Total Yeast and Mold above the acceptable limits established in Colorado Marijuana Rule 4-215. This advisory includes Harvest Batches tested and found to have exceeded acceptable limits established for Total Yeast and Mold.

Medpharm Holdings, LLC collaborated with the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) to initiate a voluntary recall for the affected Harvest Batches, according to the public advisory. The affected product is listed below (by license number and Harvest Batch) and was sold between February 7, 2024, and December 20, 2024. The locations that sold the affected product are also included below.
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